Slow-speed rotation facilitator for sprinkler heads



May 23, 1933. w BUCKNER 1,910,678

SLOW SPEED ROTATION FACILITATOR FOR SPRINKLER HEADS Filed April 1, 1932 m. lr

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFKOE SLOW-SPEED ROTATION FACILITATOR FOR SPRINKLER HEADS Application filed April 1,

This invention relates to devices for facilitating the rotation of sprinkler heads of that character in which the rotation is imparted to the head by means of the reactionary effect of the water issuing from the sprinkler nozzles, and may be considered as being an improvement over the type of device shown in my Patent No. 1,668,582, dated May 8, i928.

In this previous device, the desired vibration of the head whereby the reactionary rotation of the same is facilitated and a tendency to sticking is avoided, is had by means of an exposed reciprocating flap device against which a certain amount of water 1111- pinges. This device is effective but it IS somewhat delicate and being exposed, it is subject to damage. Also, all water actuating the same is discharged on the ground in the immediate vicinity of the sprinkler so that this portion of the ground sometimes re ceives more water in a given time than the remaining area being sprinkled.

The principal object of my present invention is to improve this condition by providing a rotation facilitating device mounted in direct connection with one of the arms of the sprinkler head and so constructed that it is entirely enclosed, so that it is both protected at all times and no water escapes at that point. i

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation oi: a sprinkler head equipped with my improved rotation facilitator.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end View of the rotation facilitating unit with the cover removed.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of 1932. Serial No. 602,522.

the housing oi the unit taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters or reference on the drawing, the numeral 1 denotes a water supply pipe on the upper end of which a vertical bearing memher 2 is mounted, in which member a Water passage spindle 3 is turnably journaled in a suitable manner. The sprinkler head is lined on the upper end of the spindle and comprises a radial upwardly extending main water passage arm at terminating in a nozzle 5 and another secondary radial water passage arm unit A having a nozzle 6 on its outer end.

In practice these nozzles are set at ust such an angle as to cause a very slow rotative motion oi the head to be set up by reason of the reactionary effect of the water discharged therefrom, as in the aforementioned patent,

This rotative movement is facilitated by I maintaining the head as a whole in a state of vibration or agitation by means of a special vibratlng unit interposed in the secondary arm and now described in detail together with said arm.

The arm A comprises a horizontal nipple 7 projecting radially of the axis of rotation of the head from the arm 4 adjacent its base. The outer end of the nipple is secured in the end of a cylindrical housing 8 disposed with its axis horizontally and alined with that of the nipple and having a cap 9 on its outer end. The outermost portion 10 of the auxiliary arm A is secured in the cap and projects radially of the axis of rotation with an upward slant; the cap end of said member 10 being axially aimed with the nipple 7. Beyond the ad acent end or the nipple the housing is provided with a transverse wall 11 hav. P0 mg a centrally disposed orifice 12 there through of relatively restricted size. This orifice directly communicates with a somewhat larger circular passage member 13 which extends into the cap so as to aline andcommunicate with adjacent end of the mem ber 10.

The housing is formed with a bypass 14: leading from the interior of the housing ahead of the wall to the main chamber 15 of.

the housing beyond said wall, so as to estab lish communication between the nipple and said chamber independently of the orifice 12. A portion of the bypass which discharges into the chamber 15 is of somewhat restricted size relative to the orifice 12 and communicates with said chamber on one side but adjacent the top in tangential relation thereto, as shown in Fig. 1. The passage member 13 has a relatively large cut 16 in one side disposed in transverse alinement with the ad jacent end of the bypass. Mounted in the chamber is a relatively wide vibration ring 17. This ring surrounds the passage member 13 but is of considerably smaller diameter than the interior of the chamber so that when resting on the bottom of said chamber it is eccentric thereto. The thickness of the ring is such that when it is thus resting, the upper edge of the bore of the ring is clear of the passage 18, as plainly shown in Fig. 3.

In operation with water passing under pressure through the head some of this water passes directly from the nipple '3 through the orifice 12 and the passage 13 and into the member 11.0 to the nozzle 6. The remainder of the water in the nipple 7 enters the cham ber 15 through the bypass and is then drawn into the passage 13 through the cut 16 therein due to the rapid flow of water through said passage which thus acts as an injector. The water entering the chamber through the bypass whirls about the chamber due to the tangential disposition of the adjacent end of said bypass and in so doing rotates the ring about the chamber in eccentric relation thereto.

Such movement of the ring with a constant speed of the water takes place at an uneven speed which will be faster when the ring is coming down on one side of the housing than when going up on the opposite side. This is both due to the weight of the ring itself and to the greater driving effect of the water imparted to the ring as it moves down past the intake of the bypass water. This uneven movement of the ring causes the same to intermittently hammer on the wall of the housing chamber, vibrating the same, and since the vibrations are imparted to all parts of the sprinkler head, sticking of the spindle 3 in its bearing will be prevented.

Since the ring on its downward movement is forced harder against the wall of the cham her on account of the greater driving force of the-water at this side than on the opposite side, said ring will act to impart rotation to the head as a whole, independently of any reactionary drive from the nozzles. This action however is not intended to be relied on to impart the necessary rotation to the head.

Another feature which I have proved from experience is that the outlet from the nozzle 6 may be smaller than the bypass and the orifice 12 without interfering with the driving and functioning of the vibrating ring.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do notform a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a rotary sprinkler head having opposed nozzle arms arranged so that water passing therethrough will produce rotationof the head, one arm being sectional and forming separate water supply and discharge passage members, a cylindrical housing disposed on a horizontal axis and to the opposite ends of which said passage members are connected, a transverse wall in the housing intermediate its ends, forming a chamber between said wall and the discharge passage member, a central passage member through the chamber providing direct communication between said passage members, and between the chamber and the discharge member, a bypass between the chamber and the supply member ahead of the wall, a floating ring disposed on a horizontal axis in said chamber and of smaller diameter than the same whereby to lie eccentric relative thereto, the chamber end of the bypass being positioned so that the water entering the chamber therefrom will move the ring through a circularpath ad jacent the inner periphery of the chamber.

2. In combination with a rotary sprinkler head having opposed nozzle arms arranged so that water passing therethrough will produce rotation of the head, one arm being sectional and forming separate water supply and discharge passage members, a cylindrical housing disposed on a horizontal axis and to the opposite ends of which said passage members are connected, a transverse wall in the housing intermediate its ends, forming a chamber between said wall and the discharge passage member, a central passage member through the chamber PIOVldlIIg' direct communication between said passage members, and between the chamber and the discharge member, a bypass between the chamber and the supply member ahead of the wall, a floating ring disposed on a hori-.

zontal aXis in said chamber about said central passage member and of smaller diameter than the chamber whereby to lie eccentrio relative thereto, the chamber end of the bypass lying adjacent the top of the chamber and disposed tangential thereto.

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3. In combination with a rotary sprinkler head having opposed nozzle arms arranged so that water passing therethrough Will produce rotation of the head, one arm being sectional, a member forming an enlarged chamber interposed and providing communication between the sections, and an element within and confined to move eccentrically about the chamber while in contact with the walls thereof; said member being formed with a water passage entering said chamber from the supply end of the sectional arm and arranged to cause water passing therethrough to impart such movement to the ele- .ment.

i. In combination with a rotary sprinkler head. having opposed nozzle arms arranged so that water passing therethrough will produce rotation of the head, one arm being sectional, a member forming an enlarged chamber interposed and providing communication between the sections, and an element within and movable eccentrically in a vertical plane about and in contact with the side wall of the chamber, said member being formed with a water passage communicating with the supply end of the said one arm and entering the chamber tangentially thereof and adjacent the top to cause the water to drive the element about the chamber and also causing it to impinge against the cham ber wall with more force when said element is moving down on the corresponding side of the chamber than when it is moving up on the opposite side.

5. In. combination with a rotary sprinkler head having opposed nozzle arms arranged so that water passing therethrough will produce rotation of the head, one arm being sectional, a member forming an enlarged chan1- ber interposed and providing communication between the sections, and an element within and movable eccentrically in a vertical plane about and in contact with the side wall of the chamber, said member being formed with a water passage communicating with the supply end of the said one arm and entering the chamber in position to cause the element to be engaged by Water entering through said passage and driven in a circular path in. the chamber and in a manner to cause said element to intermittently hammer against the wall of the chamber in a direction to impart movement to the chamber about the axis of rotation of the head.

6. In combination with a rotary sprinkler head having opposed nozzle arms arranged so that water passing therethrough will produce rotation of the head, one arm being sectional, a member forming an enlarged chamber interposed between and providing communication between the sections, an element movable within the chamber, and a water conduit between the supply section of the arm and the chamber and entering said cham- 

